Winter Storm Warning Issued for Central and South St. Louis and Carlton Counties

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Duluth, MN, has issued a Winter Storm Warning for Central and South St. Louis and Carlton Counties. The alert was issued on February 16 and remains in effect until 12:00 PM CST on Thursday, February 19.

Affected Areas

The warning covers Carlton and South and Central St. Louis Counties in Minnesota. This includes the Tribal Lands of the Fond du Lac Band and the Bois Forte Band, specifically the Lake Vermilion area.

What You Should Do

Residents are advised to take the following precautions:

• If travel is necessary, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle for emergencies.
• Monitor road conditions by calling 511 or visiting www.511mn.org for Minnesota road information.
• Do not touch downed power lines and report any outages to your local electric company.
• Prepare for slick roadways and the potential for downed trees and power lines which may create hazardous travel conditions.

Expected Conditions

• Snowfall: Total accumulations between 5 and 8 inches are expected, with higher terrain northeast of Duluth seeing between 8 and 11 inches.
• Ice: Light ice accumulations of approximately one-tenth of an inch.
• Wind: East winds are forecast to gust as high as 55 mph.
• Visibility: Near whiteout conditions are possible for a few hours late Tuesday night as high snowfall rates combine with peak wind gusts.
• Impacts: Strong winds and the weight of snow on tree limbs may down power lines, leading to sporadic power outages. Travel is expected to be very difficult, particularly during the Wednesday morning and evening commutes.

Timeline

The Winter Storm Warning is effective from 6:00 PM CST Tuesday, February 17, until 12:00 PM CST Thursday, February 19. The strongest winds are anticipated from Tuesday evening through Wednesday morning, blowing from the east off Lake Superior.